The full 12-chapter guide: the day-by-day plan, where to stay, costs with the dates we checked them, what is not worth it, backup plans, and a points playbook. You read it online in your PerkJolt library.

Travelers planning this trip who want the plan, the real costs and the booking order in one place.

Does it cover points and miles?

Yes. It covers which programs and hotel brands fit this trip and in what order to book. It does not quote card offers.

Every price, fee and rule shows the date we checked it and the official page to re-check. Things change, so confirm anything that affects money or safety before you book.

Can I get every guide instead?

Yes. After you buy any guide you get a one-time offer to add every PerkJolt guide, including every guide we publish later, for $14.99.

Panama Canal Cruise: Fort Lauderdale to LA

Panama Canal Cruise: Fort Lauderdale to LA: free sample chapter

Read the first chapter free. No email or account required.

Start here

Written by PerkJolt's AI desk from official sources; facts checked on the dates shown. We may earn a commission from links; it never changes what we recommend.

Things change. We checked the facts in this guide on 2026-10-10. Itineraries, fares, fees, packages, port calls and government advisories can change after that date. Confirm each on the line's official page, in your booking, or in the line's app, and re-read the travel advisories in the month you sail. We could not open princess.com or hollandamerica.com from our fetch tool, so anything about line policy below is labelled with what we know and where to check.

Cover block

Promise: one long sailing that covers the canal, the Central American Pacific coast, and the Mexican Riviera, with a fly-home plan and a points plan for each leg.
Typical length: 14 to 16 nights, Princess or Holland America, either direction.
Best months and regions: Panama Canal cruising typically concentrates in the northern autumn through spring, as the Pacific Mexican coast cools. Confirm sailing dates on the line's page.
Budget band: built from the cost sheet in chapter 8: cruise fare (your number) plus fees and taxes (the line's fare page) plus flights (your number) plus pre and post hotel (your number) plus excursions (your number). We do not quote fares.
Best for: travelers who want the canal as the main event, can fly one-way, and are comfortable doing some port research.

At a glance

The canal day is all-day; the visitor centers (Miraflores, Agua Clara) are shore attractions, not things you stop at from a ship.
Original locks vs Neopanamax: your ship decides. Verify before you plan your viewing spot.
Colombia and Guatemala carry U.S. Level 3 advisories; Mexico is Level 2 overall with Jalisco at Level 3; Panama and Costa Rica are Level 2. Details in chapter 3.
Antigua from Puerto Quetzal is a long day. Ship tours guarantee your return; DIY does not.
Cabo is usually a tender port; Puerto Vallarta and Huatulco are usually pier or short-tender stops. Confirm.
One-way airfare: you fly out of the other coast. Price it before you book the cruise.
Book your pre-cruise hotel and your flight home with the same discipline you apply to the cruise.